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Processing or Synthesis?

In the past I used to spend ages on synthesis and crafting something I'd be mostly happy with using, regardless of what effects I'd use afterwards on it (and indeed I'd usually try to use as few effects as possible, when appropriate). Nowadays, I really prefer taking something I'm reasonably happy with, or sometimes even indifferent, and then heavily processing it. Same goes for samples--occasionally I'll sample something I don't like just for the challenge of making it into something I do like... I'd say I probably used to split my time 80-20 on synthesis and processing, but now it's probably 30-70.

Any-who, was just curious about your guys' perspective. Obviously its circumstantial, and this doesn't apply to every sound in the world (certain tasks call for certain responses), but what bits do you tend to spend more time on, and indeed enjoy more?

I might get into more sampling just because of how creative and different you can be with it. I got a big pack of Starcraft 2 samples and its a lot of fun to work with.

I've used Sylenth1 for so long and its just kind of boring now. There's only so much a subtractive synth can do, and to make it stand out you have to put some kind of FX on it.

Re: Processing or Synthesis?

quote:

Originally posted by psymon.d Nowadays, I really prefer taking something I'm reasonably happy with, or sometimes even indifferent, and then heavily processing it.

Similar situation here, except that I like to take something that I'm reasonably happy with and start adding all sorts of expression control (e.g., modwheel, aftertouch, touch strips and XY controls, assignable controllers, etc.). I like sounds that I can change drastically while I'm playing them, so I'll layer on the modulation destinations for each controller, have one controller modulating the level of other controllers, etc. Depending on your synth's modulation capabilities, you can get some very usable control over your FX as well - for example, try assigning aftertouch to your delay amount or timing (if that's an option) and reverb level/size while your modwheel is controlling a tempo-synch'ed square LFO that is controlling filter cutoff and resonance. It works really well on short stabby sounds (e.g., arps, plucks).

for my part more and more samples are used. less and less syntesis. not sure i understood the topic correct?

layers

quote:

Originally posted by clay not sure i understood the topic correct?

He's saying that he spends an incremental greater proportion of his sound design time working on the effects for a given patch, and a little less time working on the synthesis part.

oh yeah i do that too. seems to be the normal route when you care more and and more about the mixdown. the content might hurt from it though.

I spend an insane amount applying fx to percs, and synths.
I wish i knew better how to do synthesis from scratch, i mean, i can tweak a preset pretty good, but i cant do anything remotely fancy from scratch (intentionally at least ).

It depends. For lead sounds it's synthesis, my basses are processed heavily, and everything else is a mix.

A fair bit of both, depending on the mood. I can dedicate a whole weekend to newly purchased goodies in both terms - tweaking away on a soft-synth or try different processing *chains*.

Some of this stuff ends in songs, some not. It's dedicated trial & error for me. I work totally different when I really do music. It's more like a *natural* process. No thinking, no rules. This is the best time in front of my sequencer. After that, synthesis and processing will come back in, combined with a less subjective point of view. As much as this is possible with your own works.

Short answer - Nowadays, I try to make a patch sound the best I can, within a synthesizer. No crazy processing going on - EQ, light compression, saturation, delay and reverb.

i'm all about the "source", imo there are very few things you can "add" to a sound after it's already been designed (post synth/sampler) to make it much different. I spend all my time in the synth or in a sampler and anything left on the channel strip is usually simple fx (filter/delay/verb) and then something to mix it (eq, compressor, etc).

try and keep it as simple as possible

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